I ACCUSE MYSELF

I ACCUSE MYSELF

I am an Indian citizen. I am educated, can think and express my thoughts. For most people, I represent the “intelligentsia” – whether or not I actually am.

Look at the photo above of OROP PROTEST by ex servicemen.

My pulse races when I see our soldiers march to the tune of “Saare jahan se achcha” on crisp winter mornings of Delhi down the Raj Path with thousands of Tirangas fluttering all around. My breath comes faster when I follow news of some clinical counter strike by our armed forces along some international border or when insurgents or ultras are struck down in some village or town in Kashmir, Northeast or Punjab. My heart swells in pride when I see footage of our soldiers rushing to take aid to a neighbouring country reeling under a natural disaster or to our countrymen in various parts of India battling floods, earthquakes or other calamities.

Since independence, the pride over self governance has rapidly faded in our hearts. For us, every machinery of the nation state has failed. I consider political leadership corrupt and I have a four letter word – “Netas” – that expresses my disdain for our political representatives. The same is true for our public servants. We have another four letter word for them – “Babus” – a word that was used in utter disdain by our colonial rulers for their lowly Indian clerks. For us, our judiciary is slow, insensitive and the legal system tilted hugely in favour of the “haves”. So we revel in the famous line from the movie ‘Damini’ – “Tareekh pe tareekh…” For us Indians, the three pillars of state: legislature, executive and judiciary have failed us and bring us no satisfaction. We have also rejected the performance of the informal “Fourth State” – the media. We think that is now just a big tamasha.

If you ask an average citizen, they would deride “netas”, “babus”, courts and media but the ONE institution of the nation state everyone considers beyond reproach is – The Armed Forces. If we see true patriotism, it is in our armed forces; if we acknowledge efficiency, it is of our armed forces; if we consider any organ of the Indian government that actually works and deserves the financial contribution of the “honest taxpayers” it is our armed forces; if we think of an organisation that embodies the highest values of any organisation, we do not think of a MNC corporation – we think of our Army, Navy and Air Force. The ONLY organ of the Nation State that gets our undiluted gratitude and affection is our armed forces. Or so we like to say.

In the past few years, we have seen the common citizen backed by civil society come forth into public space and make itself heard to the much hated “netas” and “babus”. The Anna Hazare movement, Nirbhaya march to the Parliament, we have ranted and raved on TV, in newspapers, blogs about the “culture of bans” – against beef ban there, porn ban here, about net neutrality, IPL scam and so many others. We are an active and agitational nation. A land of thousand mutinies! We love to put miniature Tricolours on our car dashboards, do wheelies on mobikes with the Tiranga, put tricolour face-paint. We love to wear our Indianness on our sleeves.

So, on the one hand we profess love, respect and unqualified appreciation towards our armed forces, yet when it comes to giving emotional and representational support to our soldiers, we practice silence of the lambs. When our ex servicemen sit on relay hunger strike asking for better pension, not one of us starts a candle march or night vigils at India Gate or rallies waving flags in support of whatever it is our soldiers are demanding.

Coming to the specific demand for One Rank One Pension (OROP) most of us who shout “Jai Hind – Jai Hind ki Sena” even make the effort to understand the actual issue – leave alone try to understand the mammoth legal, administrative and financial complexities of implementing OROP. I do not see any real engagement in the cause of our soldiers – about whom we all mouth empty praises. Either we go by half baked information dished out on media or are simply not bothered. I was appalled to find several well placed and educated citizens who were not even aware of the OROP agitation or what the term means.

For those still interested in understanding the issue in a nutshell they can read the 2011 Bhagat Singh Koshyari report on OROP submitted to the Rajya Sabha. This is the 142^nd report on the matter. Read it on http://www.rajeev.in/One_Rank_One_Pension/Report_Dec192011.pdf

The OROP implementation has only 3 problems:

1.     Administrative difficulty: to roll out the benefits for millions of pensioners and calculate exact amounts of arrears for those who have retired more than 30 years ago is a gargantuan exercise for which we do not have the manpower or administrative capacity.

2.     Legal implication: the equality tenet enshrined in the Constitution would immediately result in similar demand from paramilitary forces who fight the same battles and die in larger numbers but are less revered since they are categorised as “civil organisations”.

3.     Financial constraints: OROP will cost at least about Rs. 8000 crores extra per annum. Some estimate the amount at Rs. 20000 crores for the first year. (1 crore = 10 million)

I don’t see why any of these should be a problem. Capacity to handle pension calculation and disbursement can be built by strengthening Indian Defence Accounts Service / DP&PW.

Our courts are full of really knowledgeable and good judges who can resolve any legal issues that emerge from OROP.

If we can allot Rs 2100 crores for Clean Ganga and Rs 4200 crores for Swachcha Bharat, surely we can allocate Rs 8000 crores for OROP. Of course, we will have to reduce expenditure on several other schemes like Digital India, schemes for girls, toilets etc. We will HAVE to put the requirement of our soldiers above all. It might mean some “sacrifices” in terms of a small 2-3% surcharge on various taxes. But then, don’t we all profess complete respect and admiration for the “supreme sacrifice” that a soldier is prepared to do for us?

But no – we won’t hear our columnist writing emotional articles in support of OROP, we won’t see our civil society activists joining the ex servicemen in their agitation at Jantar Mantar, no candle marches, we won’t see rallies waving the Tiranga. We won’t even be willing to come forward and offer 2% extra surcharge on taxes.

In any home, parents would be most concerned about the demands of their most beloved and best child. If that child is crying in pain or suffering, parents would do everything in their power to assuage the suffering. At the cost of greater hardship for themselves or other not-so-ideal or good children. They certainly won’t start slapping the crying ideal child.

Isn’t that what happened in Jantar Mantar last Friday?

Even for adoption of “Jan Lokpal Bill” there were stories of Indians, NRIS and IIT/IIM graduates, entrepreneurs dashing to Jantar Mantar offering support. Why no such effort is evident in support of our fasting ex servicemen?

There are only 2 possible conclusions:

1.     We don’t really believe that our armed forces are the single most important, most efficient and most deserving organisation that deserves whatever they demand in terms of pecuniary benefits on retirement or as pay and allowances. In that case, we are guilty of lying – in public and to ourselves.

or

2.     We do believe our soldiers deserve what they are demanding but we don’t think that is the most important issue to tackle as a civil society. In that case, we are again guilty of lying.

We are certainly guilty of intellectual neglect. I have seen far more active debates in private parties and on social media about things like beef ban, porn website bans, Radhe Ma and countless other matters.

More than a year back, I wrote the article http://sidethorn.blogspot.in/2014/05/why-do-we-put-tears-in-our-soldiers-eyes_3.html on this blog. That was in the era of another political regime. How much has changed today? Can we really blame any political leadership for the delays? When we ourselves can’t be bothered?

As an Indian citizen, I accuse myself of lying and criminal neglect of needs of my soldiers. And I plead guilty. I have nothing to rely upon in my defence.

Individually, all I can do is accuse myself and admit my guilt. I am also going to tie a black ribbon to the mast of the Tricolour I have on my desk in office. I will untie it the day OROP is implemented. I was never into candle marches or vigils but those millions who are, why don’t you start assembling at Jantar Mantar and across the nation in support of OROP.

Or stop mouthing meaningless platitudes for armed forces. Have the guts to tell them what you perhaps actually believe: that the armed forces are just another arm of the nation state who consume the biggest “unproductive” chunk of the exchequers’ kitty. That "we honest taxpayers" pay for their salary and free ration, booze, personal attendants, housing and many other "perks". That it is not just them who matters for the nation – there is the industry, commerce, agriculturists and countless other classes or professions that make India what it is. Say that in public space.

Or do something....anything to support their cause. They matter to us because we matter to our soldiers.

Let's not lie to our soldiers.

Or to each other.

That is a big thorn in my side.

MOTHERS, SISTERS AND DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW OF INDIA

MOTHERS, SISTERS AND DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW OF INDIA

AHMEDABAD: A six-year-old girl was allegedly sexually attacked with the perpetrator inserting an iron rod into her private parts on Friday afternoon. Sola police registered a complaint for rape andarrested the 25-year-old accused Kaushal Chauhan from the spot.

Women's rights in Rwanda – where, 20 years ago, between 250,000 and 500,000 women were rapedduring the genocide that left more than 800,000 Tutsis dead – have progressedhugely. An impressive 64% of parliamentarians are women – the highestproportion of any parliament in the world – gender rights are enshrined in itsconstitution, and a swath of laws have given women the right to inherit land,share the assets of a marriage and obtain credit.

Germany on Friday approved a new quota that will force some of Europe’s largest companies to increase the number of women in their boardrooms to 30 percent by next year.

Women claim just 15.5 percent of boardroomseats on companies listed on the S&P 1500 -- an index of U.S. stocks --fewer than the combined number of positions held by men named John, Robert,William or James, according to a report from Ernst & Young.

I read the three news items today – the International Women’s Day. For the last few days, people around me have been discussing a documentary named “India’s Daughter”. The plight of women in India, their safety, security and well being is the common topic of discussion on social media over the past week or so. Everyone agrees that women in India don’t have a good life. They are discriminated against at home, at work, in public life and in economic arena. They are physically, mentally and socially abused – in metro cities and in villages. Female foetuses are killed. Women are victims of acid attacks, honour killings and paraded naked in streets with abandon.

This makes everyone angry. This makes people DEMAND a change. NO MORE…ENOUGH! Reactions range from immediate castration of perpetrators and death penalty to attacking mindsets. We have to change attitude of men…of families. We have to ensure better education. Create more employment opportunities for women. Improve law and order. Sensitize police towards women. Tighten the judicial system for delivering speedy justice in cases of rape and molestation. Make laws more stringent. We all agree. Perhaps, in a few decades, things might start changing.

In the meantime, I would worry about my daughter going out alone. Going out at night. Travelling un-escorted. Going to college, going shopping, wearing shorts, or jeans…or shalwar or saree or burqua. I would worry for her during daytime and at night. Inside home or hotel and in a city street or in public transport. I will keep worrying because India is an ancient civilisation but that 5000 years plus civilisation has still resulted in women feeling unsafe in India. Or men thinking they have absolute power over women and can express this power by inserting whatever they want into women, whenever they want. That the provocation always comes from women. If 5000 years hasn’t changed that, I worry what will change in the next 5 years?

Many women I respect as colleagues or friends shared their hurt and anger about the “Women’s Question” and the way things are in India. But I could not get a sense of any agenda. There is a wish-list, of course….that things SHOULD be this way. But no agenda. Perhaps, that is why things are not changing – at least not at the speed with which they should in India. If Rawanda can have 67% women legislators and Germany can reserve 30% seats in corporate boardroom, why can we not think in that direction?

Let me explain using an example. We know that rapes in police custody is a fact. Will it happen in an all women police station? Yes, I am also considering existence of lesbians. I personally feel an all woman police station will probably have no custodial rapes. So can we extend that thought? What if the entire police force is made up of only women? If we bring 100% reservation in police, what could go wrong? Will women be less efficient? Will they not be able to handle police work? Are they less capable physically and mentally to do police work? If not, why don’t we look at this as a solution?

Same applies to public service. Public servants are the arms of the state. What’s wrong with 100% reservation for women in all government jobs? What about legislatures and judiciary? And what about the Fourth State – press? Finally, as this world is moving rapidly towards corporatisation, where more and more power will vest in corporations – what about the German solution? At least 50% if not 100% reservation for women in bigger corporations – say those which fall in the mandatory CSR category? Why not come together as a society and agree for 50 years of this real CHANGE?

There are two “weaknesses” that women in general suffer with. One is their physical size, musculature etc and the other is their economic capability. The former is natural while the latter is a result of social process.

Having practiced martial arts for years now, I know that physical strength can be countered through training. Similarly, having been a student of economics, I also know that normally, wealth begets wealth.

Obviously, then, the solution in the short run is reduce (or remove) the physical handicap of women. At the same time, remove (or reduce) their economic handicap. Unfortunately, we cannot simply “wish” that men would stop misusing their physical superiority against women. In the short run, this has to be effectively countered through appropriate training. Just as educated parents today are giving their daughters good nutrition, education and encouraging them to have a career, so also they must start ensuring their daughters get some training to deal with physical assault. This also gives extreme inner sense of confidence.

As regards the economic handicap, let us try 50 years of suspension of wealth ownership by men. They can work earn a living but the amassed wealth cannot be in their name. Initially, this will not change much as men would still control the real purse strings. But as judiciary, executive, executive, media and corporations become women oriented, the change will be real and rapid.

I know, this sounds too Utopian. Most women friends / colleagues I spoke of were extremely reluctant to even look at these solutions. They agree this would work but are too skeptical and in-confident to even think of demanding this. When Emmeline Pankhurst started demanding right to vote and get elected for women, towards the end of 19^th century, no one would have believed the Suffragists could achieve it. But it happened. It was only because the movement became a political plank.

Perhaps now is the time to take the women’s question to a political plank. Make 100% reservation in all important spheres of public life a demand. Maybe 30% will happen. Maybe 50%. That would be a vast improvement.

Will majority of men be happy with that? Obviously not. Will they GIVE it to women? No. That change will have to be extracted. For millennia of dominance, some enlightened men might even start supporting that political movement. There is need for a political intervention and women require to create a political plank of their own to press their demands. If a 10 year horizon is what we want, then that is the only solution. Otherwise, we can pray for judicial reforms, more legislation, more sensitive policing…but our women will continue getting abused and discriminated against.

So the question is, what do the mothers, sisters and daughter-in-laws of India want? Should they wait for society to change through education, awareness and sensitization? How long will it take? In the meantime, should a political plank be created? I hope some politically active women start reflecting on these solutions and looking at Rawanda and Germany. Or come up with an alternative that will work in 5 - 10 years.

It’s International Women’s Day today.